Reunited
by Irish Angell
Summary: PRDT Tommy & Kat are reunited when Kat comes to Reefside seeking Tommy's help. Please R&R. TommyKat with some ConnerKira CHAPTER 9 POSTED 3.24.08 Hayley finds what might be a cure to help Kat, plus the 1st of many flashbacks
1. Reunited

_**Author's Note**_: Okay, I had to rewrite this because when I went to write the second chapter, I got an idea that worked out better if I just adjusted a few things. So I cut some things from the original draft and added some new things. I hope y'all don't mind. LOL! Most of Tommy's stuff is the same, for anyone who has already read the first draft and doesn't wish to have to reread it over again. I did, however, cut some things from his half, so you might wanna check out what I cut at the end of his half. Kat's half is all redone. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. LOL! Sorry.

* * *

It was a hot Saturday morning in Reefside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything was at peace. Tommy Oliver sat in his secret lab under his home in the woods, located a few miles outside of town. He was staring at his computer screen, analyzing the last battle he and the other Dino Thunder Rangers had fought; they had barely made it out of there alive.

_'Somehow Mesogog's monsters just keep getting stronger.'_ Tommy thought to himself, watching the computer screen. It had been nearly five months since three of Tommy's students from Reefside High School had stumbled across his lab and taken the Dino gems. Gems that would bond with the three teenagers and help them become Power Rangers.

Tommy became their mentor, and then, just as quickly, he became the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. It felt great to be back in the action, and not just sitting on the sidelines. He had done that before when he had lost his Green Ranger powers, and he hated it when he had to give up his Turbo powers. He tried to move on and live a normal life, but it was harder than he thought, for he couldn't remember what life was like before the Power Rangers.

And moving on without his friends was even harder. After high school and the passing of their powers, they had all gone their separate ways, all pursuing different careers. It had been years since they had all been together. Now days, it was usually Tommy and Jason who got together every once in a while and talked about the "good old days" and what was happening in each other's lives now. Tommy had sent letters to all of his friends four months ago, when Mesogog had showed up and the new Rangers had been chosen. He had to tell all his friends about them.

They had all told him, in one way or another, that if he ever needed them, all he needed to do was call and they would do anything they could to help him. But he would only call them if he _really_ needed them. After all, they all had something keeping them busy. Jason and Kim, being married for four years now, were getting ready to have a baby. Kim was really excited and Tommy was happy for them. And then Tanya had just given birth to a healthy baby boy. Adam was really happy about it; he had always wanted a son. Then Billy and Trini were on their honeymoon, and Rocky and Aisha were making wedding plans. He couldn't possibly ask them to stop what they were doing to help him, though he knew they would in a heartbeat.

He heard the doorbell ring and set the picture down on the desk in front of him, making his way up the stairs and closing the secret passage that led to the lab. He walked over to the door and peered out to see Conner, Ethan, and Kira standing there. He opened the door.

"Hey, Dr. O!" Conner said, walking in. Ethan and Kira followed him. "You called us over?"

"Yeah, I did. I was going over the footage of out last few battles with Mesogog, and I thought it would be a good idea if you guys were here, too." He told them, heading back down to the lab and they followed him.

**xXx**

Katherine Hillard pulled up the drive to 1992 Valencia Road and sat for a moment or two in her car. "All right, Kat." She told herself, "You can do this." She slowly got out of her car and walked slowly up the walkway toward the front porch. Slowly she ascended the porch steps, opened the screen door, and knocked. After a moment without an answer, she knocked again, this time a little louder. She heard stirring inside and prepared herself.

The door opened slowly and there stood Tommy, just as handsome as she remembered. He looked at her for a moment, unable to hide his surprise from her. "Hey," Kat said after she had forced the word to leave her mouth.

"Hey…" Tommy said, almost in a drone-like voice, "Hey!" he repeated, this time more cheerful. He hugged her, "Hey, Kat, what're you doing here?" He pulled away and opened the door for her, "Come in."

She smiled at him and entered, "Thank you." She looked around, "I love your home. It's so cozy." Kat said, trying to make conversation.  
"Thanks." He said, shutting the door. "So, uh…what brings you to Reefside."

She gave a small laugh, "It's silly, actually. I've been having, um…" she bit her lip, "well, I've been having dreams."  
Tommy raised an eyebrow, "Dreams?"

"I told you it was silly. At first I thought they were nothing, just dreams. But I kept having them, and they got more intense as the nights progressed. Tommy…" she looked him in the eyes, "they've been calling me here."

"Kat, listen to what you're saying."

"I know, Tommy, I know. I must sound like a raving lunatic, but please just listen to me, okay?" He nodded. "You might want to sit down." Tommy obeyed and took a seat. "Okay, where do I begin?" She paced back and forth in front of him, "In my dream there is this figured covered in light and it's calling to me. So I go to it, and when I get close enough to see who it is, it's…" she stopped and looked at him, "It's the Pink Zeo Ranger." She began to pace again and continued her story, "So, the Pink Ranger, I don't know if it's me or what, reaches out her hand to me, so I take it." She stopped again and smiled, "Tommy, I could feel the power surging through me. I felt it, I really did."

Tommy ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "Kat, it's probably just… memories."

"It's not memories, Tommy. Please, I _need_ you to listen to me." She looked at him, her eyes pleading with his.

"Okay," Tommy said, nodding.

She gave a small smile and continued slowly, "Well, anyway, at first I thought just as you did. That it was just wishes and memories. But as the nights went on and I kept getting this dream, I felt that something bad might be about to happen. That maybe I was being called?" She took a seat and buried her face in her hands, "And then the other night, another voice was in the dream, this time a deeper one, and it told me to come to Reefside and that it was important." She took a deep breath, "So I called Billy and I told him everything."

"And…?"

"He thought it meant something." She said simply, "And if Billy thinks that something as silly as a dream meant something, then I knew that it had to actually _be_ something." They sat in silence for a while until Kat looked up, "Tommy?"

He looked back at her, "Yeah?"

"What do you think it all means?"

* * *

**_AN_**: I'm sorry I rewrote everything. I don't mean to confuse anyone. This probably seems really stupid, too. That Kat had a dream and that's why she came to Reefside. But trust me, it plays into what happens later (a lot better than the first draft did). Also, I took everything out with Tommy thinking about Kat because I thought it would be too cliché (and stupid) for him to think of her and then – POOF! – she turns up on his doorstep, y'know? LOL! Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. I hope it didn't turn out too stupid. :-/ 


	2. Prognosis

Kira peeked into Tommy's living room from the opening in the floor to the lab. "Well?" Conner said, looking up at her, "What's going on?"

"They're talking." Kira told them.

"About what?" Ethan asked.

"I dunno, but it looks serious."

"Too bad none of us got super hearing for a Dino power." Conner said, smiling.

"Here, let me see." Ethan said and traded places with Kira.

"Fine," Kira said as he slowly climbed up to look, "see if you can do any better."

"Well, for one thing, Kira," said Ethan, "you forgot to mention that the woman he was talking to was pretty."

"Dude, your turn is up!" Conner said, practically pulling Ethan down.

"Whoa, okay, okay," Ethan said, half-laughing.

Conner climbed up, "Not just pretty, Ethan, she's a babe!"

Kira rolled her eyes, "Guys! Can we please just focus?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry Kira." Said Conner, slightly distracted.

"Ugh, just get down here!" She said, pulling him down. "You are impossible!"

"_I'm_ impossible?" Conner retorted, and Kira nodded, "_I'm_ impossible!" He said once again to verify, and again she nodded. "Look you-"

"_Ahem!_" All three of them looked up to see Tommy and Kat looking down at them. "Hello." Tommy said in mock-pleasant voice. Ethan smiled and resisted the urge to laugh at both Conner and Kira. "Kat," Tommy said, looking from the three un-morphed Rangers to Katherine, "these are Earth's newest protectors: Conner McKnight, Ethan James, and Kira Ford." He pointed to each of them respectively.

"Pleasure," Kat smiled at them.

Tommy now looked from Katherine to Conner, Kira, and Ethan, "Rangers," he said, "this is Katherine Hillard."

"Hey." They said in unison, some more enthusiastic than others.

"Okay guys, I guess you can go home now. We'll go over the footage some more another time." Tommy told them, entering the lab with Kat following closely behind him. "We've got some research, and some catching up, to do."

Conner, Ethan, and Kira looked at each other. "Um… Sure thing Dr. O." Kira said, "We'll see you tomorrow, then. C'mon, guys."

"It was very nice to meet you, Ms. Hillard." Ethan said, shaking Kat's hand.

"Well, thank you, Ethan. Just call me Kat." She told him.

He smiled and let her hand go. "Dude, I think I'm falling in love." Ethan whispered to Conner. Kira rolled her eyes.

After Tommy saw them out, he headed back to the lab where Kat was watching the computer screen. Tommy shut the secret entrance to the lab and walked over to her to see she was watching footage of their Ranger days. "It seems so long ago." She said barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," was Tommy's only reply, "So," he said a few moments later, clearing his throat, "let's get down to business."

"Right," Kat got to her feet and followed him to the other part of the lab.

"Just sit in there," Tommy told her, pointing to a pod-like structure, and Kat obeyed. "This will detect if there is anything unusual going on, all you have to do is relax." She nodded. Tommy prepared to shut the pod door on her, but stopped. "Kat, you realize that we probably won't find anything, right?"

She nodded slowly, "Yes."

"I mean, your Zeo powers diminished when they saved your life in Africa when you-"

"-fell from the cliff." She finished for him, "I know, I know, Tommy. I know that I probably have no power left and I know that it's a long shot, and I know that the only reason we're even doing this is because of my ridiculous dream, but Tommy," she looked at him, "I _need_ to know. I need to know it's just a dream. And I need you to understand that, please."

Tommy looked at her and nodded. "All right, Kat." He said after a moment, "Here we go."

"Thank you," she said silently as he shut the pod door and went over to the controls.

"Just relax," he told her over the intercom and started up the machine. It made a loud humming noise and lit up like a Christmas tree.

Kat took a deep breath as a ring of light circled her and scanned her body slowly. _'I'd give anything for it to just be a weird dream.' _She thought, closing her eyes and trying to relax, _'But at the same time, I want it to be something more.' _After a couple minutes Tommy turned off the machine. He walked over and opened the door and helped her out."Wow," She said, blinking, "that's a really bright machine."

"And loud," He added, smiling at her.

"I'll say," She took a deep breath, "Well, Doc," Kat said, half-joking, "what's the prognosis?"

"Prognosis?" He looked at her, "What an interesting choice of words."

She hit him, laughing, "Shut up and tell me what's going on, please."

Tommy laughed back, "All right." He walked over to the controls and Kat followed him, standing beside him. "Kat?"

"What?"

"Could you please, um, give me some space?"

"Oh, right!" She said, backing away, "Sorry."

For the next few minutes or so Kat paced back and forth behind Tommy, occasionally glancing over at the screen, and biting her thumb nail. She felt like an impatient little girl, but she couldn't help it. She had traveled all the way from Australia for this; she couldn't help but feel anxious.

"That's odd." Tommy mumbled to himself. Kat was at his side in a heartbeat.

"What? What?" She asked.

"According to this," he turned his head to look at her, "it couldn't get a readout."

* * *

**_AN_**: Ick, I don't particularly like this chapter, but I hope you guys did. **-sighs-** I think I probably could have done better, but oh well. I don't know how I would go about telling it any other way. Anyhoo, I have some great stuff planned for later chapters, so please review and tell me what you thought of this one, and if you like it enough, review future chapters. (I love reviews!)


	3. The Plot Begins to Unfold

**AN**: I'M BAAAAAAAACK! You've asked for it, and here it is! Sorry it took me so long. I needed a break, and I had horrible writer's block, but after getting 2 reviews in one week asking if I'm planning to update any time soon, I thought, "hey, I better update". I hope you guys like it. It's not very long, but I'm proud of myself for writing it so quickly (which may not be so good 'cause the chapter may be poor quality), but I actually like this chapter, and I'm always so critical of my own work, so that's a good sign, right? Bleh, I talk too much! Ignore the insane author and read the chapter. lol!

* * *

Kat was sitting on Tommy's sofa, staring off into space. They had redone that stupid scan two times after the first one, and they all came out the same. Kat, realizing that her dream was nothing more than, well, a dream, felt silly for coming all this way and making a fool of herself. Well, if she had to be honest with herself, the dream wasn't the only thing that brought her here.

It was him. The man she had loved for so many years, and yet she hadn't even spoken to him since…

She closed her eyes and sighed. _'It was stupid of me to come here and stir up these old feelings,'_ she thought to herself, taking a deep breath. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Tommy walking in from the kitchen holding two glasses of lemonade.

Tommy stood there for a moment, watching her. She looked troubled and Tommy couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She had been so hopeful and had come all this way, and why? Because a dream told her that she had to come here? Still Tommy couldn't help but feel relieved that the scanner hadn't given them any conclusive results. He would hate to see her hurt if the results came up negative, and if they were positive… well, he worried of the effect they would have on Kat as well. Would she want to fight again? Tommy couldn't bare it if anything bad were to happen to her. Of course he knew she was capable of taking care of herself. She was a Ranger once, after all.

Still all he could think about was her getting hurt. He knew Mesogog would stop at nothing to get rid of the Rangers and it didn't matter if innocents got hurt in the process. He was bent on taking over the world. Not that it was something new or anything, he had faced plenty of villains in the past with the same agenda, but for some reason Mesogog was different to Tommy. He was more terrifying than any of the villains they had faced in the past, and Tommy wanted to protect those he loved. He was ready to give his life for his family, his friends, and especially Conner, Ethan, and Kira. If anything happened to any of them, he wouldn't be able to bare it.

"Tommy?" Kat's voice broke his train of thought and he looked at her, "Are you all right?"

Tommy wanted to tell her 'yes' but he couldn't. Instead he ignored the question altogether and took a seat beside her, handing her a glass of lemonade. "Freshly squeezed," he said jokingly.

She smiled, "And by 'freshly squeezed' you mean straight from a packet, right?"

He laughed, "Yeah, you got me. I've never had time to cook anything that wasn't already pre-made and ready to heat up. Or in this case, ready to add water."

"Tommy, admit it, you've never been one to cook!" Kat giggled, bumping shoulders with him playfully. He laughed along with her and for a moment, their troubles seemed to disappear…

**xXx**

Elsa waited impatiently for her latest "creation" to report. She knew that Mesogog would be coming to pay her a visit soon and that he would want results, and if Elsa was unable to deliver, she would regret it. The metal doors slid open and Elsa's heart quickened. _'It's Mesogog! And I don't have my report!'_

However, instead of the tall and deformed creature she called "Master" walking through the doors, a smaller, more slender and beautiful creature walked in. She looked human enough, as that was the intension, but she was not human. "Chimera," Elsa said, half-relieved, half-irritated that it took her so long to return with her report, "where the hell have you been!"

"Don't worry, Master Elsa, I'd _never_ abandon you." Chimera said in a very smug-like manner, which irritated Elsa even more. Though she was Elsa's creation, she was of Zeltrax's design, and unfortunately, she was more loyal to her dear "Master Zeltrax" than to Elsa.

"What do you have to report?" Elsa asked angrily.

"Patience is a virtue, Master Elsa; you would do well to remember that."

"I created you, Chimera, and I could destroy you just as easily! _You_ would do well to remember _that_."

Chimera glared at Elsa, "Very well," she said coldly. Now Elsa was the one with the smug look on her face.

"Did you get it?" Elsa asked, more in control now.

Chimera flexed her fingers slightly, "Yes," she said simply, seemingly more interested in her hands. Elsa felt like ridding herself of this nuisance, but unfortunately, this 'nuisance' was needed. That didn't make her any less annoying.

"And…?" Elsa asked, irritated.

"I did as Master Zeltrax instructed. I went to Australia and gave that woman those dreams. At first she ignored them, but after continuously planting them in her head, she finally got the message and she arrived in Reefside a few days ago." Chimera said in a robot-like manner. "I kept a closer observation of her, but she still resisted going to this 'Dr. Oliver' person, so I gave her more terrifying dreams." At this Chimera smiled and added, "Humans are so easily frightened."

Elsa watched Chimera as she began to walk around the room and continued telling her story, "She went to him today, but she hasn't told him about the cryptic dreams," Chimera looked a little upset at this, "I went through such great detail with them, too. Makes me angry she would ignore my work like that."

An even more devious look came over Chimera, "I should make them even more terrifying."

"Sounds promising," Elsa felt her skin crawl as the words slid out of Mesogog's mouth. She turned her head to see him standing in the doorway.

Elsa bowed, "Master Mesogog."

"Never, Elsa, have you created something with such promise." He continued, walking toward Chimera, who bowed to him as well. He stood before Chimera, "How terrifying can you make these dreams?"

"As horrible and unbearable as I wish to make them," Chimera said proudly.

"Then do it." Mesogog ordered. Chimera bowed and disappeared.

* * *

**AN**: I hope you all liked it! The next chapter should be interesting. Stay tuned, I'm in the mood now, so I'm gonna start work on the next chapter soon! Please keep in mind I have other projects I'm working on, though, so it may be a while before it's posted.

LOVE YOU GUYS!


	4. Monsters

**_AN_**: Warning! This chapter contains some fluff! I hadn't meant for it, but it sort of just happened. Please forgive me for the fluff, it was completely unintentional. But hey, a little fluff is good sometimes, right?

* * *

Kat was walking in Reefside Plaza, looking around at the various shops. After her visit with Tommy the day before, she had needed to clear her head a bit, and so she thought she'd explore the town a little. She hadn't really been anywhere since her arrival to Reefside, so she thought a little sight seeing would be nice before her return to Australia. She was making her way to one place in particular. A little place called "Hayley's Cyberspace", where she was supposed to meet Tommy for a drink. When she reached the little café, Tommy was already waiting for her.

"There you are!" He said, sitting at a table, "Did you get lost?"

Kat smiled and took a seat at the table, "Oh, no, I didn't get lost. I just got distracted with all the stores."

Tommy laughed, "I should have known."

Kat ignored his comment and looked around the café, "This is a really nice place, and I see why you like it here. It kind of reminds me of how we used to hang out at Ernie's all the time. All of us." Kat sighed, resting her head in her hand, "It seems so long ago."

"Yeah," Tommy replied. For some strange reason, he seemed a bit strange to Kat.

"Tommy, is everything all right?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" He _seemed_ normal enough.

"Yes, Kat… why wouldn't it be?" A sleek voice said behind her. She turned her head quickly and came face-to-face with the ugliest creature she had ever seen. He walked like a human, but his hands were claws and his head… his head looked like that of a dinosaur. Kat sat there, unable to move or speak. She couldn't even make herself scream.

In a flash the creature flew by her, causing her to turn quickly in order to keep track of it, and the sight before her horrified her. She was no longer in the café. As a matter of fact, she was nowhere. Everything had turned to black and all she could see for miles were bodies. Bodies of people she loved and people she had never even met. At her feet were the bodies of Tommy's recruits, the three young teens she had met not 24 hours before. Their eyes were open and they were covered in blood.

"Oh, my God…" Kat managed to say barely above a whisper.

Then she heard it… the horrible sound… a gurgling sound.

Slowly she looked up, bracing herself for what she was about to see. Before her was the creature with his claws wrapped around Tommy's throat and holding him some feet above the ground.

"NO!" Kat screamed as the creature threw Tommy's lifeless body at her feet beside the three teens. She fell to her knees at Tommy's side, his eyes open and staring at nothing.

"And you couldn't save him…" the creature said, laughing, "because you don't have the power."

"No…" Kat choked, tears falling down her cheeks and landing on Tommy's face, "No… no…" she looked at the three teens, "this can't be happening…" she looked up to see the bodies of her old friends, "Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Billy, Jason, Kim…" she choked, reaching her hand out to them, even though they were far out of reach.

More tears fell from her eyes like rain falls from the sky as she saw Reefside in flames and the screams of hundreds of innocent people filled the air, all the while the creature laughed.

His laughing ceased and he turned his attention towards Kat. She felt her breath catch in her lungs. "Join your friends!" He said, and he swung his arm violently toward her. The ground beneath her disappeared and she began to fall.

"NOOOO!" She screamed, "TOMMY! TOMMY! NO!"

"Kat… Kat!" Tommy's voice rang in her ears.

Kat's eyes snapped open and she flung herself forward and into the arms of a very worried Tommy, holding onto him tightly and crying into his shirt. Tommy gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and trying his best to calm her.

"Shh," he said gently, "it's okay, it's okay. Kat, I'm here, it's okay."

She pulled away from him so that she could look at his face, "Tommy... y-you're here… you're all r-right…" she said in a shaky voice, putting her hands on his cheeks, as if to confirm that he was really there. Cold sweat covered her face and arms and her hands were clammy, but Tommy didn't notice or care.

He pushed some stray hairs out of her face, "Of course I'm here." He said, stroking her hair gently.

"No, you weren't… you were… he…" she wrapped her arms around him again.

"It's okay, it was just a nightmare," he said soothingly, "you're fine now."

Outside Chimera smiled to herself and disappeared.

Tommy made some tea after some time had passed and Kat had had a chance to calm down. She was sitting on the sofa again, her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was unkempt. Tommy handed her tea to her and sat down, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right," she said after some time, "it was just a nightmare…" _'A nightmare that felt so real…'_ she thought to herself.

She looked around, a bit confused as to why she was still at Tommy's house. "Why am I here?"

"While we were catching up, I went to the kitchen to get something to drink and when I came out you were sleeping on the sofa. I didn't have the heart to wake you, especially since it was already after midnight at the time, so instead I covered you with a blanket and went to my own bed." He told her, "I woke up when I heard you screaming, so I rushed downstairs to make sure you were all right."

Kat looked over at the clock: 3:47 am. "I'm sorry." She said, setting her tea down on the coffee table, "I'm sorry I woke you."

Tommy watched her closely. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but he didn't want to push her. "Don't worry about it," he said, brushing off her apology, "the important thing is that you're not hurt." They both stayed silent for a while.

"Let's just try to get some sleep." Tommy said finally, breaking the uneasy silence, "Do you want me to stay with you for a little while? At least until you fall asleep."

She smiled, "Thanks, Tommy. That's really sweet of you, but I don't want to keep you."

"No problem, Kat." He said, taking a seat on the recliner as she began to lie back down, pulling the blanket around her, "I won't leave this spot until you go back to sleep. I promise." Kat's smile, that beautiful smile Tommy loved so much, brightened and she laughed.

"I feel like a little child who needs her father to come and scare off the monsters under her bed," she said, a little embarrassed.

Tommy chuckled, "Don't feel that way. Every once in a while we all need someone to come and fight our monsters for us, or someone to be there and keep them away. I'll always be here, Kat, if you need me to fend off your monsters."

Kat felt her cheeks warm up a bit and she smiled once again, nodding, "Thanks Tommy. I'm lucky to have a friend like you."

"No problem."

Kat yawned and turned over on her side, facing away from Tommy. _"And you couldn't save him because you don't have the power."_ The creature's voice echoed in her head.

She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, _'It's just a dream… it's just a dream… it's just a dream…'_ she repeated in her head, trying desperately to drown out the creature's voice, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Tommy stayed with her, even after he was sure she was asleep, and watched her sleep until he too drifted off to sleep.

**xXx**

"I'm just saying that I sensed a little more than 'friendship' between them, that's all." Conner said matter-of-factly as he, Ethan, and Kira entered Hayley's Cyberspace that afternoon.

"So you're saying that if two people are of the opposite sex, they can't be 'just friends'?" Ethan asked.

"No, I'm just saying that they seemed a little more 'intimate' than, say," Conner twirled his mini red soccer ball in his hands as he searched for an example, "than Dr. O and Hayley."

"Mhm, I see." Ethan said, "Well, there is no doubt that they dated at some point, that's for sure."

"See, you agree with me! They have a his-tor-y." Conner said almost musically.

"And speaking of, there they are, so both of you shut up!" Kira hissed, pointing out Tommy and Kat sitting on one of the sofas. Kat smiled as Tommy told her something, but Kira noticed that she looked a little worried, if not scared, and that she was looking around the café when she wasn't looking at Tommy. _'This is a little strange.'_ Kira thought, raising her eyebrow.

"Hey Dr. O!" Conner called, walking over to them. The three of them greeted Kat and Tommy and sat down on the sofa opposite them.

Tommy immediately went on to tell them that they would have a meeting at the lab later on to go over more of the footage. The three teens groaned, obviously wanting to do something else, but agreed. They may have better things to do, but this involved the fate of the world. If Mesogog's monsters were getting stronger, that meant that the Power Rangers had to get stronger, too.

Kat listened to them and watched them as they quietly talked about their latest battles, bringing back old memories of when she was once a Power Ranger back in Angel Grove. She thought about going to Ernie's, hanging out with the Rangers for hours, going to the beach, and, of course, Zordon and Alpha.

It wasn't easy on any of the Rangers when they heard about Zordon's fate during the battle with Astronema, when she had led a full-fledged attack on Earth and other planets throughout the universe. Zordon had sacrificed himself for the sake of everyone. His intentions, no doubt, were to rid the universe of all evil, and he had… for a little while. But unfortunately, evil had emerged again and again, taking on different forms every time.

Kat was pulled from her thoughts when the building began to shake. She fell forward, but caught herself on the coffee table and pushed herself up. Ethan, who was getting a smoothie at the bar, fell backwards and dropped his smoothie on a blonde girl, and a boy with messy shoulder-length brown hair frantically helped her up. Conner had caught Kira when the two of them were nearly thrown off the sofa. Tommy had grabbed onto the armrest of the sofa and when the first shake stopped, he looked up at the other Rangers. The only thing Kat could think was that it had to be a dream, but she knew perfectly well that this time it wasn't.

"Would you mind getting off of me?" Conner asked.

"Happily!" Kira said, irritated, and pushed herself up. Both of them got to their feet as Ethan ran over to them and Tommy stood up. They all looked at each other and nodded. However, they immediately fell over again when another quake hit. The four un-morphed Rangers got to their feet once again and ran out of Hayley's Cyberspace, pushing their way through a bunch of fleeing, frantic people.

They were stopped when they came face-to-face with Elsa. "Hello, Rangers."

"Elsa!" Tommy said angrily, "What do you want now?"

"Meet me at Reefside Woods in 15 minutes," she commanded, "there is someone I want you to meet." Kat came running out of the Cyberspace just in time to hear Elsa's demands. "Be there in 15 minutes or else!" She said and then disappeared.

"No doubt it's a trap," Kira said, looking at the other three.

"Yeah, but we don't have a choice." Tommy told them, "Who knows what she'll do if we don't show up." The others nodded.

"Tommy," Kat came out, "Tommy, there is something you should know about the dreams-"

"Stay here, Kat," he said, ignoring her attempts to warn him, "You'll be safe here." And with that, he and the other Rangers ran toward their destination.

"No! Tommy!" Kat called to him. "Ugh!" She punched the air, frustrated. "What do I do? I can't just stay here… I have to _do_ something!" She looked up in the direction they ran. "I have to do something."

Kat took off after them, determined to do everything in her power to keep her dream from becoming a reality.

* * *

**_AN_**: Eh… I'm not so sure I liked this chapter too much, but I'm too lazy to rewrite it. I mean, I put a lot of work into it, don't get me wrong. I even like some parts of it. But… erm… not too sure I like it all that much. Well, lemme know what you think.


	5. It's Morphing Time!

**_AN_**: Grr, my computer got a horrible virus, which is why this took a bit longer than the last 2 chapters. I have to use my dad's computer until my computer is fixed, so updates will be slow. Also, please forgive my lack of uneventful fight sequences in this chapter. I am not that good at writing them, but I gave it a shot.

Also, I probably should have mentioned this in chapter 1, but I hadn't really thought of it. I took a bit of poetic license from the PRDT timeline. You have to understand that it's been a really long time since I've actually seen PRDT, so anything that happens in this story probably won't follow the PRDT timeline exactly, but I will try to be as close as possible.

In this Trent is the White Ranger, he is evil, and he is working for Mesogog. Zeltrax is also in this, and we know all about how he used to be Terence Smith. We will be finding out more about Tommy's past when he knew Terence and met Hayley and why he and Kat split in coming chapters.

Oh, and I had Tommy call Smitty 'Terence' because I think 'Smitty' sounds funny. (Sorry to anyone out there named Smitty.)

* * *

Elsa appeared before Mesogog in his lair, and with him stood Zeltrax, the White Ranger, and Chimera. "It's done," she told them, "they are heading towards Reefside Woods and they are expecting a welcome party."

"Better not disappoint them then." Mesogog said smoothly. They nodded and disappeared.

**xXx**

Tommy, Conner, Ethan, and Kira ran as fast as their legs would carry them. _'We have to get there… we have to stop Elsa before she can do anything…'_ Tommy thought, _'I know it's probably a trap, but it's a risk we'll have to take.'_

"You're late, Rangers!" Elsa's voice rang through the woods, stopping the four of them in their tracks. Before them stood Elsa, Zeltrax, the White Ranger, and some woman Tommy had never seen before.

"Zeltrax!" Tommy said, nostrils flaring.

"Long time, no see, Dr. Oliver," Zeltrax sounded amused.

"Trent!" Kira shouted in an almost desperate voice.

"Don't bother, Yellow Ranger, I'm not here to talk." He said coldly, his words cutting Kira like a knife. Conner saw the pained expression on her face and it enraged him.

"Well then, if you're not here to talk, then what are we waiting for?" Conner said, irritated, and looked at the others, "Ready?"

"Ready!" They said in unison. The silver bands on their arms all changed to their respective morphers. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" The four of them shouted, and in a flash of multicolored light they were transformed into the Dino Thunder Rangers.

"What are you planning, Elsa?" The Black Ranger demanded.

"Nothing, Rangers, honest," she said in mock-innocence, "just wanted to introduce you to my latest creation." She walked from one side of Chimera to the other and looked at her, "Isn't she magnificent?"

"She looks human," Red Ranger said to Blue Ranger.

"Far from it," Elsa interrupted.

"Like you?" Yellow shot back.

Elsa glared, but decided not to reply to her comment. Instead she merely smiled, "Tyrannodrones!" she called, and around her appeared the dinosaur-like creatures, eager to do whatever came out of Elsa's mouth. "Attack!" she commanded, and they did.

The Rangers charged the tyrannodrones head-on and began to fight them off two or three at a time. The White Ranger interrupted the Red Ranger's fight with the tyrannodrones, and even kicked one out of the way. "Well, well, well," he said, "if it isn't the Red Ranger."

"Why don't we just quit with the small talk," Red said, "and get right to the fighting!"

White smirked, "Why so eager for your destruction?"

"I'm just eager to bring you down!" He shouted, throwing punches at him. The White Ranger dodged his attacks and grabbed his arm when he went in for another punch. Red gave a small gasp, surprised.

"Good luck with that." White said, amused, and punched Red in the stomach, sending him flying into a tree.

"Conner!" Shouted the other Rangers, but they were unable to get to him. The Black Ranger knocked down a tyrannodrone and quickly made his way toward the Red Ranger, but he was stopped by none other than Zeltrax.

"You're mine, Black Ranger!" Zeltrax said and began attacking Tommy with his sword. The Black Ranger dodged and pulled out his Brachio Staff, blocking Zeltrax's attacks.

"Why are you doing this?" He demanded, trying once again to reach the man that resided somewhere inside the creature before him, blocking yet another attack, "Please, Terence, revenge isn't the answer!"

"Maybe not, but it'll make me feel good!" He shouted, kicking the Black Ranger, knocking the wind out of him for a split second, but just as soon as it was knocked out of him, he got it back, and he was at Zeltrax's throat again. The two fought for what seemed like an eternity, but had only been a couple minutes. And then, with amazing strength that Tommy hadn't expected, Zeltrax knocked the Brachio Staff out of his hands and slashed him many times across the chest. The Black Ranger grunted and took a deep breath.

Zeltrax took this opportunity and before the Black Ranger could react, Zeltrax placed a small device on his chest. As soon as Zeltrax released him, the Black Ranger felt a surge of electricity come from the device and flow through his body. The pain was so great he couldn't even muster a shout or yelp or anything. He fell to his knees, the shocks never stopping. Zeltrax laughed and kicked the Black Ranger, sending him through the air and landing on the ground some feet away from him. "How does it feel?" Zeltrax asked, moving closer to him, "How does it feel to be completely helpless? And this isn't even the beginning of it. I will torture you slowly, and then I will watch you die. The pain will be so unbearable, you'll be _begging_ me to kill you."

"I'll… never… give in… to you…" He managed to say. He tried to get up, but he was unable to move. Blue and Yellow tried to help him, but they couldn't get to him, and Red couldn't get away from the White Ranger's attacks.

Zeltrax moved closer and closer and stopped just inches from him, "We'll see." He replied, raising his sword up high and preparing to attack once again.

"YA!" Zeltrax turned his head just in time to see Kat's foot collide with his face, pushing him away from the Black Ranger. She took a fighting stance and stood protectively in front of Tommy.

"Kat…" the Black Ranger said. He couldn't believe she was here, and yet he wasn't surprised. However, no matter how glad he was that she had come just in time, he wanted her to leave so she wouldn't get hurt.

"Tommy!" Kat said, reaching out to try and pull the device off, only to have her hand shocked. She yelped in pain, but quickly turned to face Zeltrax, who was unfazed by her interference and was actually quite pleased, though you really couldn't tell.

'_Perfect! She came.'_ He thought.

Kat once again got into a fighting stance and prepared to fight. "If you want him you're going to have to go through me!"

"Very well," he said simply, and pointed his sword at her from where he stood some feet away.

"Kat… you have to get… out of here…" Tommy tried to tell her. She didn't look at him, deciding to keep her eyes on Zeltrax, and he wasn't sure if she had heard him or not.

Katherine stood perfectly still, waiting for Zeltrax to make the first move. _'What have I gotten myself into? I haven't fought battles like this in 8 years! And without my powers, I'll be no match for this guy!' _She thought frantically, though she looked perfectly calm on the outside. _'I have to save Tommy and the others… I have to keep my nightmare from coming true!'_

Then she heard the creature's voice in her head again, repeating those words over and over, _"And you couldn't save him because you don't have the power."_

That was it! That was the last straw! She wasn't about to lose everything she cared for to these goons. Not after everything the Power Rangers, old and new, have been through!

All the built up energy inside of her surged and, without thinking, she quickly rotated her right wrist and in a flash of pink, a wristband appeared… and then she rotated her left, and like the right, a wristband appeared.

"IT'S MORPHING TIME!" She called out, throwing her fists into the air. She brought her right arm down in front of her and then crossed her left wrist with her right one. The wheels on the wristbands connected and flashed. "ZEO RANGER I – PINK!"

* * *

**_AN_**: How'd you like it? Once again I'm very critical of my work and I think the fighting sequences suck, which isn't good 'cause basically this whole chapter is a fighting sequence. I did like the ending, though. I have planned that scene for a looooooooong time! I thought it would have been something cool to see if they had really done that in the actual show. Anyway, chapter 6 may take a while. School started this week, so I'm a bit preoccupied with that. Plus the whole "computer got a virus thing" (that really cheeses me off!), so the next chapter will take a while. In the meantime, I hope this chapter satisfied you guys. Please lemme know! Review, review, review!


	6. Just like Old Times

'_This surge of power… it's been so long since I've felt anything like this…'_

Kat opened her eyes slowly, the adrenaline pumping her up for battle, and yet she was still in a state of shock. It had all happened so fast, that she hadn't even had time to think. She was no longer Katherine Hillard ready to fight this thing before her. She was someone else now; someone all too familiar to her.

The Pink Zeo Ranger now stood before Zeltrax, ready to defend the Black Dino Ranger lying on the ground. The Power Rangers could not hide their surprise, and neither could their opponents. "What's going on?" Elsa demanded, staring from where she had been watching the battle, unable to hide her aggravation.

Kat pulled out her Zeo Laser Pistol and turned to face the Black Ranger, pointing it at his chest. "Don't move," she told him, aiming at the device on his chest and blasting it into a dozen pieces. Tommy let out a breath as the shocks stopped and Kat knelt beside him. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded and looked at her. This person in front of him was like something out of a dream. On the inside was his closest friend, but on the outside was someone he hadn't seen in ages. "I can't believe what I'm seeing." He said barely above a whisper.

"I know what you mean." Kat replied, "But right now we don't have time to reminisce. We have to fight!" She helped him to his feet, "Are you ready?" The Black Ranger nodded. "Then let's do this!" She said in a commanding tone, allowing her adrenaline to take over. The two turned to face Zeltrax, who didn't seem fazed at all.

"Are you ready?" He asked in an annoyingly confident tone. Pink and Black decided to respond by getting into a fighting stance. Zeltrax smirked, "So eager to meet your demise?" He brought his sword up and pointed it in their direction, "Very well."

"Be careful," Tommy said to Kat.

She nodded, "The same goes for you."

"Enough talk!" Said Zeltrax, and he charged at them. He swung his sword at the Black Ranger first, but Black ducked just in time and threw some punches Zeltrax's way. Pink came around behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him stumbling forward toward Black, who moved out of the way.

"Just like old times!" Tommy said, coming to stand at Kat's side. Even though she couldn't see it, she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smiling.

There was no time for small talk, however, as Zeltrax came charging again. Tommy didn't wait for Zeltrax this time and ran to meet him face on, leaving Kat behind. "Tommy, wait!" She shouted, but he was already fighting Zeltrax on his own. "He's so stubborn!" She said, annoyed, and prepared to help him when she suddenly lost her breath. She fell to one knee and grabbed her chest, taking a deep breath. But as soon as the pain had hit her, it was gone just as quickly, and she regained her breath and got to her feet. No one had seemed to notice, and that's how she wanted it. The last thing they needed was to be worrying about her.

"So, the famous Pink Zeo Ranger makes her appearance," said a voice from behind her. Kat turned around quickly to face Elsa, "I can't say I'm surprised. You Rangers seem to have a knack for showing up when you're not wanted, even those of you who are supposed to be 'retired'."

"Well, you villains seem to have a knack for showing up when _you're_ not wanted. And for your information: once a Ranger, always a Ranger." Said Kat, her muscles tensing as she readied herself for an attack from Elsa.

"Yeah, yeah," Elsa said, swatting her words as if they were pesky flies, "That won't matter. You're going to wish that you had stayed home!" Elsa raised her weapon, preparing to strike. But before she could attack, she, along with Zeltrax, the White Ranger, Chimera, and the Tyrannodrones, disappeared, leaving the Rangers dazed and confused.

"Okay, what just happened?" Red asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," Blue replied.

"Whatever it was, they're gone now." Yellow said.

"That doesn't mean anything," said Black, "They lured us out here for a reason, and to just disappear like that means that Mesogog must be planning something big. We need to be ready to fight when the time comes."

"At least everyone is all right, that's all that matters." Pink said. She was so happy that no one was seriously hurt, or worse, killed. So far her dream was turning out to be nothing more than a nightmare, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Tommy put his hand on her shoulder, "Thanks for your help, Kat. If you hadn't come along, I don't know what would have happened."

"Happy I could help."

"I still can't believe you morphed! That was amazing!" Blue said excitedly.

"Yeah, how did you manage that?" Black asked.

"I don't know. I just couldn't stand feeling helpless and all I wanted to do was help you guys and I just… morphed!" She told them, "I really don't know how to explai-AHH!" She screamed as a pink light zapped her and a demorphed Kat collapsed.

"Kat!" Black rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. He held her as she lay unconscious in his arms. "Kat! Kat!" Tommy demorphed, and the other Rangers followed.

"What's happening to her?" Kira asked in a worried tone.

"I… don't know." Tommy replied, feeling for a pulse. "She's still alive, but-" he looked at her wrists where her morphers still resided. "Oh no," he mumbled.

"What?" Connor asked.

"I thought this might happen, but I hoped I would be wrong."

"What? What's going on?" Connor demanded.

"Her morphers… they're drawing their power from Kat."

"Meaning what exactly?" Kira asked.

"Meaning that if we don't do something, and soon," he looked at them, "she'll die."

**_

* * *

AN:_** Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay. I've been very busy. I know this chapter went by really fast, but I hope you all liked it just the same. I know it's probably not what you've been expecting, but I hope it satisfies your craving, and hopefully makes you crave more. I thought I'd leave it at a cliffhanger. Those are always fun, right?


	7. Not Much Time

_**AN:**_ Omg, I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in God-knows-how-long, but here is why: my computer got a virus, it took me forever to get it fixed, and then I didn't have MS Word, so I couldn't write anything and it was quite frustrating. But I have word back (yay!) and so I can work on my stories. I know this chapter is probably a bit crappy (I apologize). I had written it MONTHS ago, before everything with my computer happened. I've also written chapter 8 (again, I wrote it months ago), so all I gotta do is edit it and it'll be posted soon! I promise!!

Thank you, everyone, for being so patient. :)

-Kristin Leigh

* * *

Zeltrax entered the lab angrily, "Master Mesogog!" it sounded more commanding than he had originally intended it to, but he was too angry to think, "Why did you pull us from battle? We could have beaten them!"

"Indeed," Mesogog replied with a hint of sarcasm, staring down Zeltrax, "I'm sure you would have found time to beat them had they given you the chance, which you had until _she_ showed up. Tell me, Zeltrax, how is it she managed to knock you down more than once?" It was a rhetorical question, as Mesogog was not looking for an answer and continued to speak, ignoring the irritated and embarrassed Zeltrax. "I pulled you away because we have already won." He said confidently.

"Come again?" It was Elsa who spoke this time.

If Mesogog could smile, he'd be doing it now. He sat down at his throne. "Let me explain."

**xXx**

Tommy laid Kat down on an observation table in the Rangers' meeting place below his house. She had only been unconscious a half hour and already her skin was becoming pale, even her lips were losing color.

Hayley ran down the steps, followed by Connor and Ethan. "What's happened?" She asked urgently, moving around to the other side of the table opposite Tommy, "Connor and Ethan told me that you guys were fighting Elsa and Zeltrax and that Kat morphed, and after the battle she collapsed."

Tommy nodded, "That's exactly what happened."

Hayley put her hands on Kat's cheeks, "She's really cold. Tommy, we have to work fast. Hurry, we need to get her to a hospital."

"We can't." Tommy said flatly.

She looked at him, "What do you mean 'we can't'?" She asked in a firm tone.

"Because," he sighed, "if I'm right, doctors won't be able to help her."

"What's going on?"

"It's her morphers. They're draining her life energy." He exhaled, and inhaled again deeply, a million thoughts running through his mind. Hayley looked at the morphers on Kat's wrists and watched them as the pink glow faded in and out.

Hayley understood, "Tell me everything." She told him as she began to work around Kat.

Tommy prepared himself for the story he was about to tell. It wasn't a short one, that's for sure! "Well, it all started seven years ago when Kat lost her Zeo powers when she and I went on a mission for Zordon, to find a wizard named Lerigot." He looked at Hayley as she worked, then back at Kat. "We located him in Africa, so Kat and I went there to retrieve him and when we were there Kat… fell," he took a breath, remembering the feeling he got in his stomach when he heard her screaming his name before she had fallen.

"She… fell?" Tommy snapped back to reality when Kira's words reached his ears. He looked over at her, Connor and Ethan. The three of them were staring at him. They looked like they were interested to hear more, but he knew full well they were looking for something to keep them occupied. He knew they were worried for Kat's wellbeing; there was no doubt about that. "Fell from where?"

It took Tommy a few seconds to let her question sink in and to remember the answer that went along with it. He quickly regained his composure and continued, "She fell off a cliff into a river," he cleared his throat, "but as she fell, she morphed." He told them, sitting down beside the table where Kat still lay.

He buried his face in his hands, "However, she wasn't fully morphed when she hit the water, and upon impact her Zeo powers were diminished in an attempt to protect her from the fall. If not for the Turbo powers we received shortly after, Kat probably would have ceased to be a Ranger, and when we transferred our Turbo powers to our successors, whatever power Kat had left was very small." He looked at the other three, "Once you've become a Power Ranger, that power always stays with you, no matter how small it might be. Kat's power stayed with her, in her soul, but it shouldn't have been enough for her to morph…" he sighed, "It _wasn't_ enough for her to morph."

"But she did anyway. That has to mean something, right?" Kira said, her voice sounding almost hopeful.

Tommy shook his head, "It means that her will to save her friends gave her enough power to morph, but the morpher couldn't handle it. Now it's trying to build up its power to what it once was, but since it doesn't have very much of its own anymore, it's looking for another power source. It's draining Kat's life energy in order to restore itself."

"But doesn't it realize it's killing her?" Connor asked.

"It doesn't know where it's getting its power from. It's just taking power from where it can get it, and since it is bonded to Kat, it's taking her energy." Tommy explained, "And if we can't stop it, and soon," he paused, looking at Kat as she grew paler with each passing moment, "if we can't stop it soon, she'll die." He said finally, not liking the taste the words were making in his mouth.

**xXx**

"So… you knew this was going to happen?" Elsa asked after Mesogog had explained to them the situation, "You knew her morpher was going to drain her life energy?"

"I had a suspicion, yes. After she morphed, I was scanning her energy source and I was pleased to see that I was correct. That is why I pulled you all out when I did." He told them, "The pain Tommy will feel from watching this woman die, knowing he can't do anything to stop it, will be far more satisfying to watch before I kill him and his little protégés.


	8. Demons

**_AN:_** Ahh, sorry about the wait. I've been so busy with school. (I started my first year of college and it's been kicking my butt.) But, here is the next chapter! (6 pages!! WOOT!! I'm so proud.) I hope you like it!! Enjoy:)

* * *

Kat found herself lost. The world seemed to be drained of color; it was much colder than she remembered, and she could see her breath when she exhaled. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to keep herself warm, but it didn't do any good, and before she could stop it, her eyes welled with tears and her teeth began to chatter.

She heard a noise, a shuffle of leaves, and turned around quickly, but no one was there. "Hello?" She called.

No answer.

"Who's there?"

She was answered by another shuffling noise.

"Who's there?" She called again, taking a deep breath and arming herself with a branch she found on the ground. "Come out, whoever you are!" She demanded, but no one emerged. "I'm warning you!"

There was a pause.

"Hello, Katherine." Said a smooth, familiar voice from behind her; Kat jumped and spun around, prepared to swing her branch at whoever it was, but dropped it immediately when she saw the man standing before her.

"Tommy!" The relief in her voice was hard not to catch, and she wrapped her arms around him. "Am I ever glad to see you!" She exclaimed, "What happened? Where are we? Where're the others?" The questions spilled from her mouth before she could stop them, but he didn't say anything. He just stood there, and she began to realize something wasn't right. She pulled away. "Tommy? Is everything all right?"

He smiled, but not the heartwarming smile that gave her the feeling that everything would be okay. It was a vicious smile, a smile that didn't look right on him. "Tommy--" She felt his hand wrap tightly around her neck and lift her up from the ground. Kat gagged and brought her hands to her neck, grabbing the hand around it. She stared down at Tommy, wide-eyed. "T-Tommy… what are you…?" she gagged, clawing at her neck. He merely smiled. "P-Please stop! …Tommy…" She felt tears stinging her eyes again, only this time they made their way down her cheeks, "…Tommy… Tom…" she was losing consciousness and knew she had to do something fast.

She mustered up all the strength she could and kicked him hard in the stomach, resulting in him dropping her. She fell on the ground, coughing and inhaling, trying to get air to her lungs. She knew this couldn't possibly be Tommy, but still in her head she found herself apologizing to him over and over again for kicking him. He was clenching his stomach, but all his pain seemed to erase when he turned his head slowly to look at her. She gasped. The look in his eyes was terrifying. She'd never seen that look on him, and she hoped to never see it again.

He stood tall and his eyes flashed as he took a step toward her. She was still on the ground, paralyzed.

He took another step, and she realized that she needed to move.

He took another step.

She began to crawl away, still gasping for air.

He grabbed her by the hair and she screamed. "This will teach you to get any ideas!" He hissed as he threw her, what seemed like, 20 feet. She hit the ground hard and let out a cry.

What was happening?

**xXx**

Kat's heart rate began to speed up and Tommy ran to her side. "What's happening?" Kira asked as she and the others got to their feet. Tommy watched the heart monitor, as if watching it would make it slow down somehow. Hayley was running from one machine to the next, trying to find something, anything, that might explain what was going on.

"What's happening?" Ethan repeated Kira's question.

"I don't know!" Hayley said frantically, which was very odd to hear coming from her. She was never frantic, and if she ever was, she never showed it. Perhaps she had never been trusted with saving someone's life before? At least not like this. Right now she was the only hope for Kat, and she didn't know what was wrong, and that, in truth, scared Hayley to death. She put her hand on Kat's forehead, "She's burning up." She looked at Tommy, her hand still on Kat's forehead, and he looked back. They both had worried expressions on their faces.

Tommy took Kat's hand in his, "Come on, Kat, you have to make it through this!" He pleaded with her, giving her hand a squeeze, and as soon as he did, a bright, pink light burst from Kat and sent both Tommy and Hayley flying backwards. Hayley hit the wall beside Kat, whereas Tommy went flying into one of the computers on the other side of the room. Ethan and Kira ran to Hayley's side, while Conner ran to help Tommy.

"Are you okay?!" Conner asked, grabbing Tommy's hand and helping him to his feet.

Tommy began to wobble, "I-I think so… what about-?"

"I'm fine," said Hayley as Ethan and Kira helped her to her feet, "just a little banged up. I know I'm gonna be feeling _that_ in the morning."

"What happened?" Conner asked, confused.

"To be honest," said Tommy, "at this very moment, I do not know what happened, but I am going to find out." He looked at his hand, "When I squeezed her hand, I felt a chill, and then the next thing I knew I was flying across the room. Whatever it was, it was powerful."

"Whatever it was," Hayley added, "it could save Kat's life."

**xXx**

Kat struggled to push herself up, her long blonde hair falling over her face as tears fell down her cheeks, silent cries escaping her lips. _'What is going on? This can't be real! But this pain…it feels so real…'_

Tommy – no, this _thing_ that looked like Tommy – came up from behind her once again. "Get up!" He commanded as he grabbed her by the hair once again and pulled her to her feet, and she let out another cry of pain as he did so. He held her close to him, his hand keeping a firm grip on her hair. She had her back against his chest, his free arm securing her there. He pulled her head back so she could see all the other Rangers appearing before her, all her old friends – Jason, Kim, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Billy, and Tanya – they all looked at her with dark expressions. "Don't expect them to help you;" Tommy whispered in her ear maliciously, "you're not important enough for them to care."

Kat struggled against him, but he held onto her tightly.

Kim was the first to approach, her eyes as dark and empty as Tommy's were. She smirked, "I don't know what I was thinking," she sneered, stepping closer, "you were never worthy enough to be the Pink Ranger." She got in her face, "And to think, I trusted you." And without warning, Kim punched Kat in the gut and Tommy allowed her to fall to her knees. Kim grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look up at her, "I gave my powers to you, and what did you do? You stole my boyfriend!" Kim shouted as she punched Kat in the face. Kat let out another cry as blood spewed from her mouth.

"No… no, Kim…" Kat said between gasps, "no, you have it wrong! I didn't! I swear!"

"LIAR!" Kim screamed, punching her again.

"You could never take Kim's place," said Billy, "you were always second best."

"We resented you, Kat," Aisha joined in, "You drove Kim away… how could you ever hope to think we would ever accept you?"

"You're nothing to us," said Rocky, "We never wanted you."

"And how," Tommy said, walking around her, "could you ever think I would love you?" Kat looked up at him, "I was so happy with Kim, why would I even want you?"

"S-Stop…" Kat begged, "Please, just stop…"

"I'll never look at you the way I looked at Kim… _never_." He continued, "The only reason I went out with you was because I felt sorry for you. It's pathetic, really."

"Stop it!" Kat screamed, covering her head with her hands and leaning forward, closing her eyes as tightly as she could, "Please, stop it! Just stop! Please, let this be a dream! Let it end, please…" she sobbed.

"What about me?"

Kat's eyes snapped open at the sound of the little voice and she saw a pair of little feet standing before her. She slowly looked up and saw that the feet were followed by little legs, which were attached to a little boy with blonde hair and brown eyes, no more than 3-years-old, staring down at her. Kat let out a small gasp and put her hand to her mouth.

"What about me?" He repeated.

Kat's eyes burned as fresh tears began pouring down her cheeks and she reached out to him, desperately wanting to hold him, but he pulled away. "No…," she sobbed, still reaching for him, "no… please… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Didn't you want me?" He said, looking at her with cold eyes, "Wasn't I good enough?"

She could barely breathe, much less speak. She gasped between sobs, still holding her hands out to him.

He looked at her with disdain, "Didn't you love me?" he asked, and she had to take many more breaths.

**xXx**

Hayley clicked away at her computer as she tried to figure out a way to save Kat, who was connected to the computer by cords that Hayley had attached to her body. Tommy watched as Kat slowly become paler and paler with each passing minute. He couldn't take it anymore. "I can't just sit here! I have to do something!" He said, a little more forcefully than he had intended, startling the others and causing Hayley to spin around in her chair to look at him as he got to his feet. He looked at all of them and exhaled, "I'm sorry… I just-"

"I know, Tommy." She said calmly, "It's alright." And with that, she spun back around in her chair. "Though I still haven't found a way to save her life, I have discovered something of interest." The Rangers got to their feet and crowded around behind Hayley's chair, eager to hear what she had learned. Tommy stayed where he was.

Heyley went on, "Well, I noticed that she has a lot of brain activity, so I checked into it and I think she is going through the same thing you did, Tommy, when you were in a coma." She turned to look at him.

Tommy looked down at Kat, "How do you mean?"

"I believe she is fighting many battles inside her mind, her own 'demons' I guess you could call them, and I think the longer she is alive in her mind, the longer she is alive here." She turned back to her computer, "However, her brainwaves have been getting significantly less active in the past hour."

"You mean she's losing?" said Conner. It was more of a rhetorical question, as he already knew the answer.

Hayley nodded solemnly, "The morphers are draining so much energy that she is too weak to keep fighting back."

**xXx**

Kat watched as the boy backed away from her into Tommy's arms. Her eyes were drained dry, unable to produce any more tears. She kept her eyes on him, wanting desperately to imprint his image into her mind forever. "I thought I was doing the right thing," she said finally, "I really did. You have to believe me! If I could go back and do it differently, I would!" His expression did not change, and it broke her heart tenfold, like it had then. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the memory of that day. It was the worst day of her life; a day that would be followed with many more terrible days.

The boy's face was accusing and unforgiving, making it almost unbearable to look at him. And yet, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. She just wanted to hold him in her arms and never let go.

**xXx**

As two hours slowly become three, Conner, feeling useless, decided to go and make Hayley and Tommy some coffee so that they could keep their energy, Kira had gone with him to make sure he didn't burn the house down, and Ethan thought it might be a good idea to get some food to go along with the coffee. "You can't be fainting from hunger," he had said as he followed Kira and Conner upstairs. Hayley kept going at it on her computer, searching for a way to somehow stop the morphers from draining Kat's energy and save her life. And as for Tommy, well, he sat beside Kat, feeling helpless as he watched her color drain away.

"Kat…" he whispered. _'This is my fault…'_ "Kat…" he whispered again, leaning closer to her. _'I should have protected her better… I should have been able to help her before she fell all those years ago. Then maybe none of this would be happening.' _"You're stronger than this. You have to make it. Fight, Kat! You have to fight!" He reached for her hand, "I'll fight with you." As he grabbed her hand he felt a chill go up his arm, like before, and through his entire body, though this time he was not thrown across the room. He saw her morphers glow brighter. _'What?'_

The computer beeped. "What's this?" said Hayley. Tommy heard Hayley typing away on the computer, but kept his eyes on Kat's hand and the morpher on her wrist. "Tommy!" she said after a few minutes, practically jumping up off her chair, "Kat's vitals are getting stronger! Though not by much, it's still something! I don't know what's going on, but she seems to be somehow getting energy. I don't know how, though, but-" she turned to look at him and paused; he was looking a little drained as he clenched Kat's hand tighter. "What're you doing?"

"It's me," he said simply, feeling the way he looked. He had barely been holding her hand five minutes and already he was feeling the effects. "I'm the one she's getting the energy from."

"Tommy, you have to stop!" Hayley said, running to him, reaching for his arm to pull him away.

"No!" He snapped, shoving her away gently, "Don't stop me, Hayley. It's the only way to keep Kat alive long enough for you to find a way to stop all this."

"But Tommy, if you don't stop, you'll both die!"

"And if I don't, she'll die faster, and I would never be able to live with myself. At least this way she'll have a fighting chance."

"But-"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," he said slowly, looking at her, "You're wasting time, Hayley."

She stared at him for a moment, and then nodded, hurrying back to the computer. He looked from Hayley to Kat. _'You can do it, Kat. I know you can.'_ He gave her hand a squeeze.

* * *

**_AN:_** I'm actually really happy that this is as long as it is. I was getting annoyed with how short my chapters have been, so I am quite pleased with this. I will begin writing the next chapter shortly, maybe over Thanksgiving break, if I can.  
Also, the concept of the little boy is something I've wanted to introduce into the story for some time now. I hope it doesn't feel like I just threw it in there, 'cause I've been thinking about it for a while now, and it's something that will become a major part in one of the sequels to this story (yes, I have sequels planned).  
Well, I don't wanna give too much away, so I am going to shut up now. :) I hope you all liked it! Lemme know what you think!


	9. The Cure x Flashback One: Promise

**AN:** This is the beginning of a series of flashbacks, telling about what happened with Tommy and Kat between Turbo and Dino Thunder. There is also some Conner/Kira in this chapter. This chapter also contains a bit of fluff. (Oh, who am I kidding? A lot of fluff!) I apologize if it is too much fluff. I didn't mean for it to turn out that way, it just sorta happened.

* * *

Tommy was waiting at the airport for nearly an hour and a half now. He hadn't wanted to be late and therefore arrived long before he had needed too. Thankfully, his wait came to an end when he spotted her coming down the escalator, her luggage in hand. She got to the bottom and looked around for a bit before she spotted him walking towards her, and she immediately began to walk in his direction.

She couldn't take it anymore. As soon as he was in grabbing distance, she dropped her luggage and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and burying her face into his shoulder, taking in the scent of him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as he could, as if he was going to lose her if he loosened his grip on her even slightly. They stood there like that for about half a minute, ignoring the looks from passersby. He could hear her crying lightly into his shoulder and felt her warm tears dampen his shirt. He hoped they were tears of joy, but before he could ask, she pulled her head back to stare him in the face, her brilliantly blue eyes like overflowing pools of water. After looking at him for what seemed like eternity, she kissed him.

She let her legs fall from his waist and back to the ground, but never released him from her kiss. She held onto him with all her might, and he did the same.

They eventually had to pull away for air, so they stood there in each others arms, taking in breath after breath, staring into each others eyes, his arms around her waist, hers around his neck. He smiled after a moment or two as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips, and though his kiss was not as passionate as the one they had shared only a moment ago, it did not lack in feeling. He could feel her smiling, too, as she kissed him back, before pulling away.

"I've missed you so much," Kat said finally, breaking the silence between them.

He wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, "I've missed you, too."

She looked as if she might cry again, before her eyes wandered to his hair. Her mouth dropped, "Oh, my God!" she ran her fingers through his short, spiky hair, "You cut your hair!"

He laughed, "I was wondering how long it'd take you to notice."

"When did you do this?" She said, unable to stop her hands from feeling his hair all the way back to his fleshy neck, which was not covered by his normally long hair. She could never do that before!

He could feel the goose bumps on his arms and neck and it gave him a chill; a good chill. "I got it cut yesterday. I wanted to surprise you."

"I'm surprised!" she said, still running her fingers through his hair.

"Do you like it?" He sounded almost worried by what she might say, as if he might have disappointed her, and this made her gaze fall from his hair to his face.

"Are you kidding?" she brought her hands down and cupped his face like a mother would a child and gave him a reassuring smile, "I love it!" and with that she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and smiled.

He looked almost bashful, but shook it off as he helped her pick up her luggage.

**xXx**

Conner paced back and forth in the lab. What could he do? He, Ethan, and Kira had returned to the lab with coffee and found their high school science teacher practically passed out and holding the hand of the woman they had only just met yesterday who just happened to be a retired Power Ranger and their teacher's old flame from years ago. Oh, and she was having the life sucked out of her by an 8-year-old morpher from her Ranger days! He was beginning to feel like he was in some sort of super-powered soap opera or something. The worst part was he felt completely helpless. At least Ethan, being the computer nerd that he was, was trying to help. He had taken up residence at another computer and was searching for a way to save not only Kat's life, but now Tommy's life as well.

He took a deep breath. This sucked! Why couldn't he be good at anything other than soccer? He knew he was good at other things, too, but he didn't let himself remember any of those things because none of them could help Tommy or Kat, and none of them made him feel any better about himself at the moment. He knew what people thought of him. He was just some dumb jock with no real skills. He didn't even know if he deserved to be a Power Ranger, much less the leader. Maybe it was just luck?

Conner mentally punched himself. _'Stop getting down on yourself, damn it!'_ he thought, _'It isn't going to help, and it's only making you feel worse.'_

He noticed Kira biting her nails as she stared at Tommy and Kat and he knew she was feeling the same thing he was. She noticed him staring at her and gave him a 'what are you looking at?' sort of look. "What?" she sounded annoyed.

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Then stop staring at me," she said, and went back to biting her nails.

He went to sit down by her; she glared at him as he did so, making him almost reconsider it, but he decided to ignore her and sat down anyway. "How're you doing?" he asked finally.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Treat me like some fragile little girl, okay?" she said, staring him down.

"I'm not." He said simply, ignoring her attempts to intimidate him. She looked away from him, but he found himself unable to look away from her. He could only see her profile now, her beautiful nose, her soft skin, her perfect lips. He felt his heart tug in her direction and quickly turned his head away from her, coughing as he did so.

"What now?" she asked, turning to face him again.

"Nothing," he replied. This time he was looking away from her, "I just can't sit here, that's all." He got back on his feet and went back to pacing.

And that's how it went: Conner continued to pace, Kira continued to bite her nails, and Hayley and Ethan continued to type away on their computers.

And then she did it, that brilliant redhead. She made some sort of sound that, in her own way, was some sort of victory shout. Ethan leaned over to look at her screen while Conner and Kira rushed to her side. "What is it?!" Kira asked urgently.

"I think I might have found a cure," Hayley replied, "But you're going to have to go and get it."

**xXx**

It was 6:43 in the morning and Tommy watched Kat as she slept in his arms, their naked bodies wrapped together in a loving embrace. Her skin was as smooth as silk and was always soft to the touch, no matter where his fingers roamed. Her blonde hair framed her facial features and he thought she looked like an angel. He loved to watch her sleep, his only regret that he could not see her beautiful blue eyes. He laid there for several minutes watching her before she began to stir. She gave a slight moan before her eyes fluttered open to look into his.

She smiled. "Good morning," she said sleepily, adjusting herself so she could see him better.

"Good morning," he replied, kissing her on the nose, to which she could only smile.

"How long have you been up?" she asked.

"Oh, about a half hour or so," he told her, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Aw, why didn't you wake me? I could have kept you company."

He shrugged, "I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

"You are entirely too kind." She said jokingly.

"I know." He said with a smile, "And modest, too." She laughed.

"So," Kat said, snuggling closer to him, "how long will you be gone with Dr. Mercer?"

"I'm not really sure. He said it could be anywhere from six months to a year."

She put her hand up and traced the frame of his face with her fingers, "I don't know how I can live without you for that long. It was hard enough only getting to see you every couple of months, and now that I'm moving back to Angel Grove for good, you're leaving for a year." She rested her palm on his cheek, "I don't want to let you go."

He pulled her closer to him until there was no space between them and kissed her forehead, "I know. It's hard for me, too. After this research trip is done with, I will come back and I will never leave you again."

"Do you promise?"

He leaned in and kissed her, rolling her over so that he was laying on top of her, their lips still attached in a passionate kiss. He finally pulled away, but kept his face within inches of hers. They stared into each others' eyes, "I promise." He said, and with those words he leaned in and kissed her again.

It would be a couple hours before they left the comfort of Tommy's bed to face the rest of the day...

...but only Terence Smith was counting the minutes.

* * *

**AN: **I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, but I've been busy with school. I'm also sorry it's not really long. I had hoped it would have been longer, especially since it took me so long to get it up. I thought you guys deserve something lengthy for the long wait, but it just didn't work out that way. But you get some Tommy/Kat fluff, so that's all good, yeah? I hope so. Lol! I also hope it's not too fluffy. Too much fluff can make a person sick, but this chapter needed it, as the next one won't have much fluff at all. Oh, and I hope the ending worked. I thought I should end on a sort of ominous tone. Heeheehee.  
I better shut up now before I reveal too much. Okay, well, leave me a review and lemme know what'cha think. =)


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